Karl Renner

20 Dec 1945, elected by the fifth Bundesversammlung (Federal Assembly), Großer Sitzungssaal des Parlaments, Parlamentsgebäude, Vienna; sworn in at the same session immediately following the election [1]

31 Dec 1950, died [2]

﻿Names/titles:

Pen-names: Synopticus; Rudolf Springer

﻿Biography:

Eighteenth child of a poor Moravian farmer; attended village school; studied law at the University of Vienna (1890-1896), receiving degree in 1898; was a founder of the Naturfreunde association (1895); employed as librarian at the library of the Reichsrat, Vienna (from 1895); joined the Social Democratic Workers' Party (Sozialdemokratische Arbeiterpartei, SDAP); wrote a number of works in political studies; elected a member of the Reichsrat (1907-1918); member of the Provisorische Nationalversammlung (Provisional National Assembly) (21 Oct 1918 - 16 Feb 1919); headed the Austrian government as the Leiter der Kanzlei des Staatsrates (Chief of the Chancellery of the Staatsrat) [semi-officially Staatskanzler 30 Oct 1918 - 19 Dec 1918]; office officially changed to the Staatskanzler (State Chancellor) (19 Dec 1918 - 7 Jul 1920); member of the Konstituierende Nationalversammlung (Constituent National Assembly) (4 Mar 1919 - 10 Nov 1920); reelected as State Chancellor (15 Mar 1919, 17 Oct 1919) by the Konstituierende Nationalversammlung (National Constituent Assembly); served as chief of the State Department of the Interior and Education (15 Mar 1919 - 9 May 1919), chief of the State Department of Foreign Affairs (26 Jul 1919 - 17 Oct 1919), state secretary for foreign affairs (17 Oct 1919 - 22 Oct 1920); advocated the idea of Anschluss, calling for unification of Austria with Germany; chaired the Austrian delegation at negotiations in Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919), resulting in signing the peace treaty (10 Sep 1919) between Austria and the victorious Allied Powers in World War I; elected a member of the Nationalrat (National Council) (1920-1934); was a founder of the Arbeiterbank (1923), chairman of the Board of the Arbeiterbank (1923-1926); unsuccessful candidate at presidential elections (5 Dec 1928, 9 Oct 1931); served as President of the National Council (29 Apr 1931 - 4 Mar 1933); was briefly imprisoned after the abortive 1934 coup; supported the annexation of Austria by the Nazi Germany (1938); remained politically inactive during World War II; joined (1945) the Socialist Party (Sozialistische Partei Österreichs, SPÖ); approved as State Chancellor (27 Apr 1945 - 20 Dec 1945) and formed a provisional government composed of the Socialists, People's Party, and Communists; elected Bundespräsident, first Head of State of the Second Republic of Austria (served 20 Dec 1945 - 31 Dec 1950); died in office (31 Dec 1950). Biography source: [3]